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India-Pakistan

Pakistan Court Orders Former PM Charged in Musharraf Case

2014-11-22

[AnNahar] A Pak court trying former military ruler Pervez Perv Musharraf ... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ... for treason on Friday ordered the government to add a former prime minister, law minister and chief justice to the charge sheet. The move will further prolong proceedings against Musharraf over his decision to suspend the constitution and impose emergency rule in 2007. The charges, first announced by the government a year ago, have raised hackles in the powerful military establishment, which is seen as reluctant to have one of its former chiefs tried by civilians. Musharraf, 71, returned to Pakistain last April vowing to run in the general election to "save" the country from Taliban militancy and economic ruin. But he was barred from standing in the May 2013 poll and hit with a series of criminal charges dating back to his 1999-2008 rule, including treason and murder. His lawyers had applied to have the charge sheet expanded to include around 600 other names. But the court ordered only three people to be added to the charges: Shaukat Aziz, who was prime minister at the time of the emergency order, then-law minister Zahid Hamid and judge Abdul Hameed Dogar, who was elevated to chief justice after the order. "Based on the material on record, the probability of their involvement as aiders and abettors cannot be ruled out," the court said in its order signed by two of the three-judge bench hearing the case. "We are therefore of the view that joinder of the then Prime Minister and the then Federal Law Minister is necessary to secure the ends of justice." The third judge on the panel gave a dissenting view, dismissing the application to extend the charges. The hearing was adjourned to December 9. The ruling forced Hamid to resign as minister for science and technology in the current government led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... The case suffered repeated delays earlier this year due to Musharraf's health problems and security threats against him -- the Taliban have threatened to kill him. Legal experts said the latest ruling means proceedings are unlikely to advance any time soon. "The government or any other co-accused who are to be included in the case can go to the Supreme Court and if this happens there will be long and time-consuming arguments there," former deputy attorney general Raja Abdul Rehman told AFP. The case against Musharraf relates to his decision to impose emergency rule shortly before the Supreme Court was due to decide on the legality of his re-election as president a month earlier, while he was still army chief. He had seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, deposing Sharif -- who was elected PM for a third time in May last year in a landslide victory. Some observers have suggested the government's pursuit of Musharraf is partly motivated by Sharif's personal grudge against the former general. Since the Musharraf was indicted in March there have been regular rumors of a backroom deal to allow him to leave Pakistain to avoid a destabilizing confrontation between the government and the army.

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India-Pakistan

Justice Iftikhar, 10 judges restored through notifications

2009-03-18

(APP): Deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and ten deposed judges of the Supreme Court and high courts have been restored through two separate notifications issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice here on Tuesday, as per announcement made by Prime Minister Syed Yusaf Raza Gilani. According to the notifications, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will assume his office on March 22, after the retirement of Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, who is retiring on March 21 after attaining age of 65 years. Ten other judges who were restored through another notification will assume their offices with immediate effect. Four judges of the Supreme Court, who have been restored are: Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Khalil‑ur‑Rehman Ramday, Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed and Justice Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmad. Three Judges of the Lahore High Court who were restored are: Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif, Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry and Justice Iqbal Hameed‑ur‑ Rehman. Two judges of the Sindh High Court, who have been restored are: Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Maqbool Baqar. Only one judge of the Peshawar High Court who has been restored is: Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan.

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India-Pakistan

Pakistan: Top judges reinstated 'to avoid military coup'

2009-03-17

(AKI) - By Syed Saleem Shahzad - Pakistan's leaders have been forced to resolve their differences with opposition leader Nawaz Sharif and reinstate sacked top judges, after the threat of a military takeover by the army chief general Ashfaq Parvez Kiyani, unnamed sources told Adnkronos International (AKI). In a major concession, the government on Monday announced that the sacked Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and other judges sacked by former president Pervez Musharraf would be reinstated. The opposition, including sacked lawyers and other political activists, immediately cancelled a rally in the capital, Islamabad, after the decision. A US-brokered deal persuaded president Asif Ali Zardari to accept a face-saving deal that included a review of the Supreme Court decision on the disqualification of Sharif and his brother, Shahbaz, from holding elected office and lifting the governor's rule in Punjab, the most populous province. Nawaz Sharif had made it clear that nothing less than the restoration of deposed judges to the previous positions they held in 2007 would be acceptable. The leader of the PML-N, Nawaz, had been barred from elected office and Shahbaz had been forced to step down as chief justice of Punjab province. All efforts for a peaceful reconciliation appeared to backfire on Saturday despite intense efforts by US secretary of state Hillary Clinton. Clinton spoke to Zardari, Sharif and General Kiyani to put in place acceptable solutions and defuse the conflict. Earlier, US envoy Richard Holbrooke, US ambassador Anne W. Peterson and other officials had been working late last week in a bid to find a peaceful reconciliation between the lawyers, opposition parties and the government. Observers had expected that American mediation would resolve the political differences between the government and the opposition, but when thousands of people marched on the streets in Lahore and demanded the restoration of judiciary, talks stalled. That failure finally prompted Washington to tell Pakistan's army chief to do whatever he needed to do to prevent the country falling into any serious political anarchy. When the political deadlock continued on 15 March as lawyers marched in protest towards the capital, some sources said General Kiyani met the prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and told him in clear terms that if the two parties failed to reach agreement he would have be left with no choice and a military take over would be inevitable. Kiyani threatened to install Shahbaz Sharif as interim prime minister for three months and call fresh elections, according to the sources. Gillani conveyed the message to Zardari and then a meeting was arranged between Gillani and Shahbaz Sharif. Both agreed on a particular formula which was announced early on Monday. "I restore the deposed chief justice and others according to the promise made by me and the president," Gillani said in a televised address to the nation. The prime minister also announced the reinstatement of two other sacked Supreme Court judges. He said "a notification to this effect is being issued now." He said Chaudhry would replace Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, who is to retire on 21 March. Chaudhry was suspended by Musharraf in March 2007, sparking a wave of protests. Lawyers and political activists were jubilant after Monday's announcement and many danced outside Chaudhry's home in celebration.

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India-Pakistan

Pakistan studying Saudi, Sri Lankan security models

2008-12-19

The government is studying Saudi and Sri Lankan security models to develop a mechanism to deal with terror threats, Interior Adviser Rehman Malik said on Thursday. He was responding to comments from opposition legislators in the National Assembly. Malik contradicted reports that President Asif Zardari had told parliamentarians from FATA in a meeting on Wednesday that drone attacks in the Tribal Areas would continue and the government could not stop them. He said the report was baseless and the president had never made such a statement. The interior adviser said the parliamentary committee on national security was deliberating on a unanimous integrated policy on the challenges Pakistan was facing, and that the government was committed to defending the dignity and sovereignty of the country. Earlier, Ahsan Iqbal from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) criticised the government for not responding appropriately to Indian allegations of Pakistan's involvement in last month's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, saying Pakistan was facing security threats as a result. He called for good ties with India "but with honour and dignity as the top priority". He also asked the government to analyse the circumstances in which young people were influenced by extremists, adding that most would-be suicide bombers who had been arrested were school dropouts. Pakistan People's Party (PPP) legislator Sher Muhammad Baloch riticised the opposition and media for creating 'unnecessary hype' over the admission of Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar's daughter to a medical college. He said it was not a matter of public importance, and that the media was using it to criticise the chief justice. FATA legislaor Zafar Baig Batani asked the government on a point of order to set up a federal university in the Tribal Areas. Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi, who was chairing the House, supported his demand.

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India-Pakistan

Nuggets from the Urdu press

2008-10-05

A few words about column writing Famous columnist Atta ul Haq Qasmi wrote in daily Jang, that today columns are very popular in Pakistan and everyone who can write his name is trying to become a columnist. Today there are less than 10 heavyweight columnists. The majority of successful columnists have a leaning towards Jamaat Islami and two heavyweights were once members of Jamaat Islami. Columnist who were once affliated with Jamaat Islami and Pakistan Peoples Party still show "after effects" of their party affiliations. Why not go to FATA? Nazir Naji wrote in daily Jang, that a hallasheri group of brave and chivalric minority wants to push Pakistan into another adventure. This group didn't get any votes but wants to decide the fate of Pakistan. This group didn't get any votes but wants to decide the fate of Pakistan. The state of their honour is such that they don't have courage to live in areas under the control of Taliban in Waziristan. Why don't they go to FATA to enjoy themselves? There they would have the passion of jihad and honour to fulfill. The successes of our hallasheri group Nazir Naji wrote in daily Jang, that hallasheri (cheering squad) group is not shamed after every defeat. Those deceived by them end up in the jails of our enemies, tortured and insulted, and then they run towards superpowers to let them off the hook. For 60 years they piled up arms to liberate Kashmir, but gave up Hyderabad, Junagarh and finally Kashmir. This brave and chivalric hallasheri group couldn't get an inch of land from India but now want to take on America. Hallasheri courage Nazir Naji wrote in daily Jang, that in 1971, an unelected ruler didn't accept the election results of East Pakistan. People protested and this hallasheri group celebrated the march of tanks on the East Pakistanis. When India attacked East Pakistan and imprisoned 90,000 soldiers, this hallasheri group sank in a corner. After Z A Bhutto recoverd the country from defeat and chaos, this hallasheri group again sprang to action against Z A Bhutto. Conquerors of Afghanistan One picture showed Qazi Hussain Ahmad holding a Kalashnikov looking at the province of Khost as a conqueror. Nazir Naji wrote in daily Jang, that when Russia invaded Afghanistan, our jihadis were enrolled in the service of America to "serve" Islam. As long as this "American jihad" was funded by America, our leaders went to Afghanistan and posed as victors. One picture showed Qazi Hussain Ahmad holding a Kalashnikov looking at the province of Khost as a conqueror. American propaganda against ISI Famous columnist and TV anchor Hamid Mir wrote in daily Jang, that when Interservices Intelligence sacked three colonels for interfering in the October 18 elections, American was alerted. The Americans realised that if ISI didn't interfere on behalf of PMLQ ,then pro-Musharraf forces wouldn't win the elections and Musharraf would become weak. If Musharraf became weak, then who would safeguard American interests? That is the reason why America started its propaganda war against ISI. Pro-American liberal extremists Famous columnist and TV anchor Hamid Mir wrote in daily Jang, that he was informed by very reliable sources that America is annoyed with the army for not helping pro-Musharraf forces. Liberal extremists think that if PMLQ and PPP joined hands in Punjab, then serving American interests in Pakistan would be easy. Journalists who were supporting the downfall of Musharraf are being targeted by pro-American liberal extremists who want them to be punished by Zardari. Embassy truck responsible for Marriot blast Rumours are rife in media that the truck came out of an embassy before reaching the Marriott Hotel. As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, Jamaat Islami naib amir Liaqat Baloch said that the Marriot blast shows evidence of an involved foreign hand. He said that rumours are rife in media that the truck came out of an embassy before reaching the Marriott Hotel. He said that government shall investigate the attack. We have restored judges: Farooq Naiq We are strengthening institutions to provide easy and cheap justice to the people. As reported in daily Pakistan, federal law minister Farooq H Naiq said that we have honoured our pledge to restore judges and 90 per cent of judges are restored. We are strengthening institutions to provide easy and cheap justice to the people. He said that there is only one chief justice and Abdul Hameed Dogar is the real chief justice. He said that he didn't have any contact with Iftikhar Chaudhry. Film star Khushboo harassed in park As reported in daily Express, the film star Khushboo was jogging in a local park when a young man started following her. When Khushboo told him to stay away he started abusing her. The star called her husband, film star Arbaz Khan, who was at the gate of park with his guards. Arbaz Khan and his guards beat the offensive young boy. Iftikhar Chaudhry can restore Nawaz Sharif as PM Famous columnist Abdul Qadir Hassan wrote in daily Express, that Nawaz Sharif didn't resign from his office of prime minister. When parliament was electing a new prime minister, Nawaz Sharif's party members were casting their vote in favour of a new prime minister. This is not constitutional because we can get a stay order from a judge like Iftikhar Chaudhry. An elected prime minister can't be removed from office without a vote of no confidence or a physical disability. Zardari's election is haram? Rafiz Tarrar, elected president and removed from office by a dictator, didn't resign and therefore no one can be elected in his place. Famous columnist Abdul Qadir Hassan wrote in daily Express, that Rafiz Tarrar, elected president and removed from office by a dictator, is alive. He didn't resign and therefore no one can be elected in his place. There are ulema in parliament who didn't give fatwa against this nikah on top of another nikah (nikah par nikah). There wasn't any divorce, and no hilala or iddat was observed. How can ulema sit silent over this gross violation of sharia? Tribesmen behind loss of Kashmir Nazir Naji wrote in daily Jang, that a few junior officers decided to infiltrate India disguised as mujahideen without orders from the high command. Tribesmen were then allowed to enter Kashmir, who looted everyone and kidnapped Kashmiri women. This gave an excuse for India to send its army, and because of the "bravery and honour" of these jihadis, India occupied Ladakh, Kashmir valley and Jammu. This first jihad cost Kashmiri people 60 years of Indian slavery and Pakistan lost its share of water. Imtiaz Alam narrowly escaped Marriott blast At the time of the blast, he came out of his room and entered a lift, which stuck because of an electricity failure. He managed to come out of the lift, which went crashing downwards. As reported in daily Aajkal, journalist and SAFMA president Imtiaz Alam was in the Marriot Hotel at the time of the suicide attack. At the time of the blast, he came out of his room and entered a lift, which stuck because of an electricity failure. He managed to come out of the lift, which went crashing downwards. Imtiaz Alam said that he came face to face with death and narrowly escaped. Militants want civil war in Pakistan Sohail Qalandar wrote in daily Express, that the impression that the war on terror was an American war, formed during the Musharraf era, won't be eradicated. Terrorists chose FATA to attack Pakistani citizens to terrorise them and to raise them against the Pakistan army and take the country into civil war. When their dream got sore, they attacked other Pakistani cities. It is no hidden fact that these suicide attacks have linkage to fasadis (miscreants) from Waziristan and FATA. Death is determined by destiny When he was returning to his home, he was hit by a pick-up van. Death comes where it is written in your destiny. According to daily Aajkal, a security guard at the Marriot Hotel on duty at the gate escaped to the road when the truck loaded with explosives caught fire. He was unhurt after the bomb blast and took part in the rescue operation at the hotel. Later when he was returning to his home, he was hit by a pick-up van and he died. It is true that death comes where it is written in your destiny.

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India-Pakistan

Dogar approves reinstatement of 14 sacked judges

2008-07-27

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Abdul Hameed Dogar has given his approval for the restoration of 14 sacked judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC) and Sindh High Court (SHC) and sent a list of these 14 judges to President Pervez Musharraf, a private television channel reported on Saturday. According to Aaj TV, eight of the 14 judges to be restored are from the SHC while six are from the LHC. Former Supreme Court (SC) Bar Association president Muneer A Malik told the channel that the government was not sincere in restoring the sacked judges, adding that the restoration of the 14 judges in question was the SC’s decision, and not the government’s. Also on Saturday, the SC registrar expressed ignorance about any move to restore sacked judges of the provincial high courts, while Law Secretary Agha Rafiq Ahmad Khan said he had no knowledge at all of the restoration, according to Geo News. According to the channel, SC Bar Association President Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan said the sacked judges’ restoration through a simple notice would mean that the government had admitted the November 3, 2007, actions to be unconstitutional, adding that if the reinstatement required taking of a fresh oath, the judges would be considered to have been restored under the Provisional Constitution Order, the channel said.

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India-Pakistan

SC declares Fazl's brother MNA from Tank

2008-05-20

A three-member Supreme Court (SC) bench on Monday declared Maulana Attaur Rehman of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) a member of the National Assembly (MNA) from NA-25, Tank. The bench consisted of Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice Ijazul Hassan and Justice Chaudhry Ejaz Yousaf. Rehman is Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s younger brother. On May 15, the bench had reserved its verdict on his plea against a Peshawar High Court (PHC) decision on recounting of votes at various polling stations of the constituency. The bench had earlier not stayed the recounting slated for March 18 but had asked Election Commission (EC) not to officially notify election results till the disposal of the case. Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, counsel for Rehman, argued that the EC was not competent to order recounting of votes after issuance of results to all the candidates on the prescribed form. Wasim Sajjad, counsel for Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) candidate from NA-25 Habibullah Kundi, submitted that the EC had not received the election result on the prescribed time, which had made the election doubtful. He said a delay in announcing the election result was a violation of Section 39 of Representation of People Act, 1976. Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, counsel for Dabar Khan, a PPP candidate from NA-25, requested re-polling in the constituency, saying the consolidation process had not yet occurred in the constituency. He said the polling officers signed results of only 22 of the 257 polling stations. He said ballot papers were scattered and the National Assembly ballot papers were polled in the boxes fixed for provincial assembly ballots.

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India-Pakistan

'Iftikhar to declare Perv's re-election illegal'

2008-05-14

Sacked CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry, if reinstated, will re-examine the legitimacy of President Musharraf’s second term, which was legalised by CJ Abdul Hameed Dogar, who is regarded by lawyers as being “friendly” towards PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari, NYT reported on Tuesday. PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar told NYT that there was a perception that Zardari had assured the Bush administration that Musharraf would be granted a “safe exit”, and that the Americans feared that Musharraf would lose face if the judiciary is restored.

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India-Pakistan

Perv Sworn In as Civilian President; Plans to Lift Emergency Rule

2007-11-30

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has been sworn in for a second five-year term, a day after he kept his promise to step down as army chief. Addressing the nation in a televised speech later in the evening, Mr. Musharraf said he "fully intends" to lift emergency rule on December 16 and restore Pakistan's constitution before January elections. Natty-looking suit. London tailor? Politicians, top military leaders, and diplomats were guests at the swearing-in ceremony, which took place at the presidential palace in Islamabad. Mr. Musharraf repeated the oath administered by Abdul Hameed Dogar, the Supreme Court chief justice he hand-picked after imposing emergency rule November 3.

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India-Pakistan

Contradictory signals from Pak on holding of general elections

2007-11-07

(PTI) In contradictory signals, Pakistan's top government lawyer today told the Supreme Court that the general elections would be held as scheduled while the President's Constitutional Adviser ruled out such a possibility. Attorney General Malik Qayyum also told the apex court that there was "no martial law in the country and the army has not taken over the affairs of the government". Civilian governments were functioning at the centre and in the provinces, he said. However, this comes in contradiction to comments by Sharifuddin Pirzada, President Pervez Musharraf's Constitutional Adviser, who told 'The News' daily that there would be no general elections for at least one year. But, he said the emergency imposed by Musharraf on Saturday would soon be lifted. "The emergency imposed by the Army chief would soon be revoked. But, the Prime Minister and Parliament would get one-year extension in their terms," Pirzada was quoted as saying. Qayyum, however, told the Supreme Court that the elections would be held as scheduled by mid-January after the national and provincial assemblies complete their tenure on November 15. His remarks came as the full Supreme Court presided over by Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar set aside an order passed by sacked judges on Saturday to annul the emergency rule.

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India-Pakistan

New Pak CJ over-rules Chaudhry's order; cancels all cases against Musharraf

2007-11-04

Pakistan's new Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar has over-ruled his predecessor Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry's order annulling emergency and cancelled all cases that were being heard by the Supreme Court, including legal challenge to President Pervez Musharraf's re-election in uniform. Dogar, who was sworn in by Musharraf as the Chief Justice of the apex court shortly after the imposition of emergency on Saturday, said in a statement that the court had not passed any order against the Provisional Constitutional Order issued by the military ruler to suspend the Constitution and fundamental rights. The order issued by Chaudhry and six other judges was the last act of defiance before they were removed from the Supreme Court by security forces. They also refused to endorse the Provisional Constitutional Order. Dogar said the roster of cases issued by Chaudhry had been "cancelled" and a revised roster would be issued. Among the cases that have been cancelled is the legal challenge to Musharraf's re-election in uniform in the October 6 presidential poll. The statement said that "those judges of the Supreme Court who are not invited to take the oath (under the PCO) would cease to hold office and cannot exercise any judicial or administrative power". Dogar also removed the Supreme Court's registrar Faqeer Hussain from his office and sent him to the Law Commission. Dogar appointed additional registrar Sara Saeed as the acting registrar of the apex court. Before his appointment, Dogar was part of the 11-member bench that was hearing petitions challenging Musharraf's candidature in the presidential election.

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India-Pakistan

CJP Iftikhar out, Justice Dogar in

2007-11-04

President Gen Pervez Musharraf appointed Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar new chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) in place of Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Saturday. Gen Musharraf administered oath to Justice Dogar under the new Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) at President’s House. Three other SC judges have taken oath under the new PCO. They are justices Nawaz Abbasi, Faqir Muhammad Khokhar and Javed Buttar. New PHC CJ: Meanwhile, Justice Talat Qayyum Qureshi took oath as chief justice of the PHC under the PCO, Akhtar Amin reported from Peshawar. Six judges of the PHC including former CJ Justice Tariq Pervez Khan refused to take oath under the PCO. Justice Khan told Daily Times he didn’t take the oath because the SC had declared the proclamation of emergency unconstitutional. There were reports that seven more judges of the PHC had taken oath under the PCO at Governor’s House. More oaths: In a related development, Justice Amanullah Yasinzai has taken oath as BHC CJ, Justice Afzal Soomro as SHC CJ and Justice Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhry as LHC CJ, Daily Times Monitor reported quoting PTV.

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